Gori Fortress (Georgian: გორის ციხე, "Goris Tsikhe") is a medieval citadel in Georgia, situated above the city of Gori on a rocky hill.
Gori FortressSide view of the Gori FortressCaucasus mountains from the Gori fortress
Standing on the hilltop, the fortress's outlines follow the natural relief, hence the irregular shape. The inner fortifications occupy the entire plateau, from which the walls descend towards the road along the western slope. Originally, the walls reached the river below and the water had to be diverted through a tunnel, but the river has retreated since.[1]
The fortress first appears in records from the 13th century, but archaeological evidence shows that the area had already been fortified in the final centuries BCE. The fortress was of major strategic importance, given its dominant position guarding a regional trade route, and accommodated a large garrison. In the 16th century the Ottomans captured it to overawe Tbilisi. In 1598 the Georgians, led by their king Simon I, besieged it for nine months to no avail; in 1599 they feigned relieving the siege for Lent and then launched a surprise night attack to regain control over the citadel.[2] The fortress continued to change hands between the Georgians and the Persians in the 17th century.
The citadel acquired its present-day form under the Georgian kings Rostom of Kartli in the 1630s and Erekle II in 1774. Following its completion, Rostom garrisoned it with Iranian soldiers.[3] King Rostom also asked the Italian missionary Cristophoro Castelli, who lived in Gori, to draw the fortress. His stunning illustration from approximately 1642 is a valuable historical document. After the Russian annexation of Georgia in 1801, the fortress was garrisoned by a Russian grenadier battalion, but its importance gradually declined and the fortifications went defunct. The city plan of 1824 shows the citadel, the city on the hill slopes and a moat encircling both. The British Encyclopædia Metropolitana reported in 1845:
At the foot of a chain of low sandstone hills stands the Town and Fortress of Gori, (perhaps the Gursenna of Strabo,) the next place in magnitude and importance to Tiflis. The Castle, an oblong, 200 paces in length, placed sixteen fathoms above the level of the Liakhvi, running at the foot of the hill on which it stands, is now abandoned, a Chapel in its South-Eastern angle being the only part in use.[4]
Gori Fortress was significantly damaged by an earthquake in 1920. The best preserved structure is Tskhra-kara ("the Nine-gated"), facing to the west and adjoined by supplementary walls on the south and east.
^Закарая, П. (1983) Памятники Восточной Грузии. Искусство, Москва, 376 с. [Zakaraya, P. Monuments of Eastern Georgia](In Russian)
^Rayfield, Donald (2012). Edge of Empires. London: Reaktion Books Ltd.
^Sanikidze, George (2021). "The Evolution of the Safavid Policy towards Eastern Georgia". In Melville, Charles (ed.). Safavid Persia in the Age of Empires, the Idea of Iran Vol. 10. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 387. ISBN978-0755633807.
^"Georgia", in Encyclopædia metropolitana; or, Universal dictionary of knowledge, ed. by E. Smedley, Hugh J. Rose and Henry J. Rose (1845), p. 532.
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gori, fortress, georgian, გორის, ციხე, goris, tsikhe, medieval, citadel, georgia, situated, above, city, gori, rocky, hill, side, view, caucasus, mountains, from, gori, fortressstanding, hilltop, fortress, outlines, follow, natural, relief, hence, irregular, s. Gori Fortress Georgian გორის ციხე Goris Tsikhe is a medieval citadel in Georgia situated above the city of Gori on a rocky hill Gori FortressSide view of the Gori FortressCaucasus mountains from the Gori fortressStanding on the hilltop the fortress s outlines follow the natural relief hence the irregular shape The inner fortifications occupy the entire plateau from which the walls descend towards the road along the western slope Originally the walls reached the river below and the water had to be diverted through a tunnel but the river has retreated since 1 The fortress first appears in records from the 13th century but archaeological evidence shows that the area had already been fortified in the final centuries BCE The fortress was of major strategic importance given its dominant position guarding a regional trade route and accommodated a large garrison In the 16th century the Ottomans captured it to overawe Tbilisi In 1598 the Georgians led by their king Simon I besieged it for nine months to no avail in 1599 they feigned relieving the siege for Lent and then launched a surprise night attack to regain control over the citadel 2 The fortress continued to change hands between the Georgians and the Persians in the 17th century The citadel acquired its present day form under the Georgian kings Rostom of Kartli in the 1630s and Erekle II in 1774 Following its completion Rostom garrisoned it with Iranian soldiers 3 King Rostom also asked the Italian missionary Cristophoro Castelli who lived in Gori to draw the fortress His stunning illustration from approximately 1642 is a valuable historical document After the Russian annexation of Georgia in 1801 the fortress was garrisoned by a Russian grenadier battalion but its importance gradually declined and the fortifications went defunct The city plan of 1824 shows the citadel the city on the hill slopes and a moat encircling both The British Encyclopaedia Metropolitana reported in 1845 At the foot of a chain of low sandstone hills stands the Town and Fortress of Gori perhaps the Gursenna of Strabo the next place in magnitude and importance to Tiflis The Castle an oblong 200 paces in length placed sixteen fathoms above the level of the Liakhvi running at the foot of the hill on which it stands is now abandoned a Chapel in its South Eastern angle being the only part in use 4 Gori Fortress was significantly damaged by an earthquake in 1920 The best preserved structure is Tskhra kara the Nine gated facing to the west and adjoined by supplementary walls on the south and east Gallery edit nbsp Sharaf al Din Ali Yazdi Timur besieges the Georgian Castle of Gorin nbsp Gori fortress by Cristoforo Castelli circa 1642 nbsp Gori Fortress nbsp Gates of the fortress nbsp Pathway to the fortress nbsp Gori fortress from the north sideReferences edit Zakaraya P 1983 Pamyatniki Vostochnoj Gruzii Iskusstvo Moskva 376 s Zakaraya P Monuments of Eastern Georgia In Russian Rayfield Donald 2012 Edge of Empires London Reaktion Books Ltd Sanikidze George 2021 The Evolution of the Safavid Policy towards Eastern Georgia In Melville Charles ed Safavid Persia in the Age of Empires the Idea of Iran Vol 10 Bloomsbury Publishing p 387 ISBN 978 0755633807 Georgia in Encyclopaedia metropolitana or Universal dictionary of knowledge ed by E Smedley Hugh J Rose and Henry J Rose 1845 p 532 nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gori fortress 41 59 10 N 44 06 29 E 41 98611 N 44 10806 E 41 98611 44 10806 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gori Fortress amp oldid 1212336846, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
